Community Research Fellows Training (CRFT) Program

2026 Dates: April 9, 2026- June 25, 2026 (Thursdays 6:00 pm-9:00 pm in person)

Eligibility Requirements: 

• Must be over the age of 18
• Must reside in the NYC metropolitan area or be able to commute to the NYU campus

Required Documents: 

• Completed Application
• Two (2) reference letters stating why you would be a good participant

The Community Research Fellows Training (CRFT) Program is a comprehensive program designed to create a pool of trained community members who can collaborate with academic researchers and serve on community research advisory boards and institutional review boards. CRFT has three goals: (1) Implement a community-based participatory research training program for community members. (2) Promote the role of underserved populations in research by enhancing the capacity for community-based participatory research. (3) Bridge New York University researchers and community-based organizations and community health workers serving the New York City Metropolitan area to address health inequities. 

Research has shown that efforts to reduce health inequities are most effective when community members, organizations, and institutions partner together. That’s why we’ve built the CRFT program around a concept known as community-based participatory research (CBPR), which actively and equitably engages community stakeholders in all aspects of the research process (from planning to implementation and evaluation).

The program begins with an orientation session, followed by lessons. The program closes with a celebratory certificate ceremony in the final week.

The program is modeled after a Masters of Public Health (MPH) curriculum and provides an introduction to public health research. Lectures are led by faculty from NYU and other institutions, including local community health-focused organizations. The lessons feature lectures, hands-on activities, and thought-provoking discussion groups. Topics covered include Public Health and Health Disparities Research methods and Ethics, Health Literacy, Community Health, Clinical Trials, Cultural Competency, Policy Research, Grant Writing, Community Organizing, and more!

Program Offerings:

• Training to increase research engagement.
• Train community members to become good consumers of research.
• Understand how to use research as a tool in improving health outcomes in communities.
• Increase community members' understanding of how to work with academic researchers.

Eligibility:

CRFT NYC is intended for anyone who has the desire to reduce health inequities in their community. Past participants have included those currently working in community health, community members interested in getting involved in health inequities research, healthcare workers, community members involved in faith-based organizations, those working in government roles (i.e., county health departments), and those in the academic setting. We also have participants who are community members with an interest and desire to learn.

There are no requirements for participation in the program beyond being over the age of 18. Our participants have ranged in age from 21 to 72 years old, with an equally wide range of educational experience, from those with a high school diploma/GED to those with graduate degrees.

Additional Resources & Information: 

The program is in person in NYC, St. Louis, MO and Clifton, MS. The curriculum and other materials from CRFT are available in this book.

Publications:

• Goodman, Melody S., Sallie M. Yassin, Marisha Kashyap, and Vetta Thompson. A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Youth Research Fellows Training Pilot Program. SAGE Research Methods Cases, 2020. https://dx.doi.org/ 10.4135/9781529715361.
• Melody Goodman, Ejiro Gbaje, Sallie M. Yassin, Janice Johnson Dias, Keon Gilbert, Vetta Thompson. Adaptation, implementation, and evaluation of a public health research methods training for youth. Health Equity 2018; 2(1):349-355.
• Komaie G, Goodman M, McCall A, McGill G, Patterson C, Hayes C, Thompson VS Training community members in public health research: development and implementation of a community participatory research pilot project, Health Equity 2018; 2(1): 282–287
• Goldie Komaie, Keon Gilbert, Cassandra Arroyo, Melody Goodman. Photovoice as a teaching method to increase research literacy among community members. Pedagogy in Health Promotion 2018; 4(2): 108-114.
• Goldie Komaie, Christine Ekenga, Vetta L. Sanders Thompson, Melody S. Goodman. Increasing Community Research Capacity to Address Health Disparities: A Qualitative Program Evaluation of the Community Research Fellows Training Program. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics  2017; 12(1): 55-66
• Lucy D’Agostino McGowan, Jewel Stafford, Vetta Thompson, Bethany Johnson, Melody S. Goodman. Quantitative Evaluation of the Community Research Fellows Training Program. Frontiers in Public Health: Public Health Education and Promotion. 2015; 3(179) 1-12 [PMCID: PMC4504145]
• Jacquelyn V. Coats, Jewel D. Stafford, Vetta Sanders Thompson, Bethany Johnson Javois, Melody S. Goodman. Increasing Research Literacy: The Community Research Fellows Training. Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics 2015; 10(1):3-12 [PMCID: PMC4605821]

CARES papers:

• Melody Goodman, Maria Gonzalez, Sandra Gil, Xuemei Si, Judith Pashoukos, Jewel Stafford, Elsa Ford, Dennis Pashoukos.  Brentwood Community Healthcare Assessment Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education and Action 2014; 8(1): 29-39 [PMCID: PMC4394008]
• Melody Goodman, Xuemei Si, Jewel Stafford, Adesuwa Obasohan, Cheryl Mchunguzi; Quantitative Assessment of Participant Knowledge and Evaluation of Participant Satisfaction in the CARES Training Program. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education and Action 2012; 6(3):359-366 [PMCID: PMC4849880]
• Melody Goodman, Janice Johnson Dias, and Jewel Stafford. Increasing Research Literacy in Minority Communities: CARES Fellows Training Journal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics 2010; 5(4) 33-41 [PMCID: PMC3177406]